“POWERLINK is CANopen over Ethernet" – even if this statement simplifies the matter, since it leaves POWERLINK's real-time capabilities out of the equation, it nonetheless captures an essential point about this communication system, which gives users the benefits of both of the latter protocols in one package. Hence, a proper evaluation of POWERLINK's advantages requires some basic knowledge of Ethernet and CANopen. This section will begin by pointing out the peculiar characteristics of the Ethernet protocol itself, which will make it easier to grasp the specific features described in the following section on “Technology”.